BONA FIDE HERO By JOSEPH G. ROSA Photos Courtesy Author Author's Note: Most legendary heroes of the Old West were part fact, part fiction, and the movie cowboys were rarely as authentic as their Old West counterparts. But as I was to learn when I started digging into the legend of Buck Jones, his publicity was based on fact. I was able to confirm important details with his wife, Odille, who still resides in Hollywood, and the National Archives in Washington contributed in­ formation on his army career. "KingING OF THE COWBOYS"-about a dozen Western movie stars have borne that .title since 1903. but, in my opinion, only three really stand out­ William S. Hart, Tom Mix and Buck Jones. Of this trio only Buck Jones was an Buck Jones with his ornately engraved Colt Peacemaker. En­ authentic cowboy. Hart was a Broadway largement of the gun (inset) is through courtesy Guns & Am­ actor of some considerable fame before mo Magazine, October, 1959, Peterson Publishing Company. he entered motion pictures in 1914, but he had never been a real cowboy. Tom Mix, on the other hand, had had some rodeo experience and knew something of toddling toward the nearest corral where After his initial recruit training, the business, but he was _not as authentic friendly cowboys encouraged him to sit Trooper Gebhard saw some service along as his later press publicity made out. a pony. It was not long before he was the Mexican border. On one patrol he Buck Jones, however, had been a cowboy able to ride, and cowhands began refer­ narrowly missed death in a thunderstorm ahd a cavalryman when the Old West ring to him as a real "buckaroo" which when lightning struck a steel bridge he was still alive. name was soon shortened to "Buck." It was crossing. Several troopers riding Perhaps his name may not mean much was a name he was proud to claim for ahead of him were killed. Later Troop to this generation, yet there was a time the remainder of his life. G was ordered to the Philippines, setting when practically every boy in the United­ By his fifteenth birthday wanderlust sail on September 7, 1907 and arriving States would rather have been Buck had seized the boy and he decided to see on October 9. For the next two years Jones than President. His action-packed, more of the great Western country be­ they fought Moro bandits, and in a full-of-excitement Westerns appealed to fore it became fenced in. At that time the jungle battle toward the end of 1909 youngsters and adults alike. Even cow­ best way to do it was to join the Army. Buck was badly wounded in the right boys liked his pictures and a Buck Jones "But he was too young and could only leg just above the knee. He was threat­ feature was sure to draw many off the join with his mother's permission," Mrs. ened with the loss of his leg, but recov­ range on a Saturday night. To millions Jones told me. "Together they went and ered to carry a 6½-inch scar for the re­ of fans he was the most beloved of the lied about his age so he could join." mainder of his life. heroes of gunsmoke and gallop. Buck's mother realized that to refuse According to army records, Buck left Born Charles Frederick Gebhard permission would only delay the event, the Philippines on November 15, 1909 (sometimes spelled Gebhart) on Decem­ so she agreed to the deception. At Colum­ and arrived back in the United States on ber 12, 1891, at Vincennes, Indiana, he bus Barracks, Ohio, on January 8, 1907, December 14 where he was honorably was only a few months old when his Buck enlisted in Troop G, Sixth U. S. discharged at the Recruit Depot, Fort father purchased a 3,000-acre ranch at Cavalry, and gave his date of birth as McDowell, California, on December 20 Red Rock, Oklahoma. Young Charlie December 12, 1888. This date and that of "by reason of short remaining term, for Gebhard learned fast. As soon as he was December 4, 1889 appear in most refer­ the convenience of the government." able to walk unaided he was to be found ence books. His leg was still troubling him and he 20 True West Wherever you happened to live, if it had a movie house, the wide, won­ derful and dangerous West was only a few coins away-through a narrow door and just past the yel­ low popcorn! Who can forget Silver? Who can ever forget the man who rode him? decided to return home. For a time Buck worked on his father's ranch and later for a brief period at the Indianapolis Speedway tracks. There he made a friend of Eddie Rickenbacker, who later became America's World War I aerial ace. Buck returned to Columbus Barracks on Octo­ ber 14, 1910, and was once more re­ cruited into Troop G, Sixth U.S. Cavalry. During the next two years Buck was promoted to sergeant, but found life too routine. He wanted a change and soon the opportunity for such a move pre­ sented itself.. By 1913 the United States Army was becoming interested in aero­ planes and Buck, who had a love of things mechanical, decided to apply for a transfer. Writing from Texas City, Texas, on March 19, 1913, he applied for a transfer to the Signal Corps, Aviation Squad. By special Orders No. 75, War Department, April 1, 1913, Sergeant Gebhard was transferred to the Signal Buck Jones and his original Silver in a scene from an old Fox movie Corps as a private, assigned to duty with the First Aero Squadron, Signal Corps. Buck's dream of being able to fly was swiftly dispelled. Enlisted men were not with everybody, including the preacher, but it was regular, and Buck decided to encouraged to become pilots, and even to be on horseback. On August 11, 1915, stay around Hollywood for a while in with the help of his friend, Eddie Rick­ Buck and Odille became man and wife. case his prospects improved. enbacker, he had no luck. To become a For the whole of their married life The top cowboy at Fox Studios was mechanic didn't have any appeal, so dis­ they were a devoted couple, and in the Tom Mix who, with his horse Tony, en­ gusted by all the red tape he let his days before motion pictures made him joyed immense popularity and was said enlistment expire and on October 23, famous, Buck and Odille worked equally to have earned $25,000 a week at one 1913, again became a civilian. hard to keep themselves in food and stage of his career. But Mix was a hard clothing. When war came to Europe it man to handle. He delighted in trick For SOME MONTHS he wandered had a decided effect on show business, hats and fancy suits which would have around looking for work and then so Buck decided that it was time to move made even a singing cowboy of the one day learned that the Miller Brothers' on. He got a job as horsebreaker for the 1940s blush. Yet for all that, he was 101 Ranch Show needed hands, so he de­ British and French Armies at a re­ convincing on screen. Like most of the cided to apply. "I put resin on my chaps mount depot set up at the Chicago Stock­ top stars of the time he disliked doubles, to help me hold the saddle," Buck re­ yards. Buck worked there until America but he realized that some scenes de­ called in 1938, "and drove horseshoe entered the conflict and was then re­ manded them. And that is how he and the nails into the heels of my boots to keep tained for the duration because his future Buck Jones came to meet. my spurs on. Then I went over and asked qualities as a horsebreaker and rider Legend has it that he and Buck slug­ for a tryout." were recognized as valuable to the war ged it out on a vacant lot because Mix The resin did the trick and he landed effort. was jealous of the other's superior rid­ a job. He soon came to the notice of Part of his job was to select the most ing skill, but it is doubtful if this story Zack Miller and it wasn't long before he suitable horses for cavalry and artillery is true because •by the time Jones was became a top rider and roper. By the use. As all the animals chosen were himself a star, the two were firm time the show reached Madison Square dark, any white or grey horses were friends and remained so for the rest of Garden early in 1914, Buck had firmly turned down. One day a rancher came their lives. When Mix was filming "Dick established himself. It was here that he in with a silver-grey which Buck had to Turpin," Buck crept into the movie as met a girl called Odille Osborne. turn down, but something about the horse an extra much to the amusement of them "I ran away from home and joined attracted him. Buck's offer of $100 for both. the show,," Mrs. Jones told me, "and the horse was accepted. He named the People soon began to notice the tall, that's the year I met Buck." Odille had animal "Silver" and later he was to ride well-built, grey-eyed, six-foot Westerner.